Free Printable – My Word of the Year

Are you looking for a way to help your preschool or kindergarten students think about their own growth? Our free “My Word of the Year” printable might be just what you need. In this post, I’ll walk you through how this one activity can support early language skills, introduce little ones to goal-setting in a gentle way, and give them a sense of their own progress. With visuals and prompts made for young children, it’s designed to meet them right where they are. If you’re ready to try something that feels both meaningful and doable, this printable is for you—because even the youngest learners can benefit from finding their own word for the year ahead or reflecting at the end of the academic year.

As we welcome a new year and also look back on all that our preschool students have learned and done, it’s a special time to help them notice their own growth. Big resolutions never really fit little learners, but a simple “Word of the Year” can work beautifully—whether you’re setting an intention at the start of the year or reflecting on a word that has stayed with your students by the end of the school year. I

t helps young children name what matters, see how far they’ve come, and begin to understand their own progress in a gentle, age-appropriate way. To make this easy and meaningful, we’ve created a free printable you can use in your preschool classroom—for beginning-of-year goal setting, end-of-year reflection, or both. Read on to discover how this simple activity can support your little learners all year long.

Harnessing the Power of Words:
At an early stage in their development, preschool students may not fully comprehend the concept of resolutions. However, they are primed to understand and explore the power of words. By focusing on a single word, we can teach them about intentions, goals, positive traits, and virtues.

Encouraging Self-Reflection:
The “Word of the Year” activity serves as a gentle introduction to the concept of self-reflection. By guiding your students to think about what they would like to embody in the year ahead, they are prompted to turn their attention inward. This process helps develop their emotional intelligence and encourages self-awareness.

Promoting Vocabulary Development:
As educators, we are constantly seeking ways to enrich our students’ vocabulary. The “Word of the Year” activity provides a perfect opportunity to introduce new words and their meanings. Encourage your preschoolers to express their chosen words in their own way, sparking creativity and language development.

To facilitate this activity, we have designed a fun, free printable.

Incorporating the Activity into the Classroom:
Once you have printed out the free printable, set aside some time in your lesson plan for each preschooler to complete theirs. Provide plenty of crayons, markers, glitter, and other decorative elements for them to adorn their printables. Encourage them to explain their word choices to their peers, helping to create a supportive classroom community.

Celebrating and Revisiting the Words:
As the year progresses, don’t forget to celebrate and revisit the chosen words. Dedicate a bulletin board or a wall in your classroom to display the printables, allowing your students to have a visual reminder of their intentions throughout the year. Encourage open conversations about how their chosen words relate to their daily experiences, promoting an ongoing sense of purpose and growth.

Empowering our preschool students to choose their “Word of the Year” allows them to set positive intentions and embrace personal growth in a way that resonates with their age group. By utilizing our free printable, you provide young minds with a powerful tool for self-expression and reflection. Let’s make this year one of newfound self-awareness and conscious intention for our preschool learners – their futures are incredibly bright!

Free printable – my word of the year

This resource includes student activity worksheets with 35 different words such as kindness, peace, friendly, believe, move, dare, shine, adventure, etc. 

Here is what’s included:

• Student activity worksheet My Word of the Year x 35

Age: Preschool ages 3 – 6 years

Subjects and uses in the classroom: Literacy Centers, Fine motor, Prewriting, Critical thinking, Character Education, Social-Emotional, New Year Activities

Here is how to use it:

Here is how you might like to use this printable in your Montessori and early childhood classroom.

Gather some inspiring books for children to read in their own quiet time or in a small group. Challenge them to think of one aspect of their character or everyday life they wish to invest their energy into pursuing. Call each page and ask children to raise their hands if they hear a word they wish to have. 

The students then may like to read, trace, write and color their words and glue them into their journals. The flip side of the worksheet can be used by the child to draw an illustration of their word. Students with more advanced skills might enjoy writing down the word’s definition and its etymology.

Since it can be hard for little ones to keep their attention fixed on a word for the whole year, I also made the “My Word of the Month“. In this case, you can do this exercise monthly with your students. 

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